Videndum
by Slone13
Summary: As the Argo II continues forward towards the Doors of Death, desperately in a frit to meet Percy and Annabeth, the Seven get a welcoming visit from a blessed mortal. The future lies and Gaia stirs from her grandfather's tricks and plays. It is only a matter of time before they can get to the House of Hades, and with a little help that they've been provided with.
1. Seeing Is Believing

**I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians or Heroes of Olympus.**

**1**

**Seeing Is Believing**

"…_As they sailed farther from the coast, the sky darkened and more stars came out._

_Percy studied the constellations—the ones Annabeth had taught him so many years ago._

"_Bob says hello," he told the stars._

_The _Argo II_ sailed into the night."_

My mom opened my bedroom door just enough for her to peek her head in, the bags under her eyes dark. "Honey," she said, her voice as light as a feather. "It's almost midnight. Don't you think it's time to go to bed?"

I actually pondered the thought, but nodded my head. "Yeah, sorry."

"It's fine, sweetie. Just get in your PJ's and brush your teeth. I'll be in to tuck you in, okay?" I answered with a single nod of my head while setting aside my book as my mom exited my room.

With a groan of realization, I went to the bathroom to do my nightly routine, forgetting to wash my face with that Proactive acne cream stuff. I put on clean Sponge Bob bottoms (in which I had since I was eight) and a random T-shirt, and climbed in bed. Mom came in, kissed me goodnight, wished me a night full of sweet dreams and guarding angels, and closed the door.

"Je t'aime."

"Je t'aime beaucoup."

With the _House of Hades _under my pillow (to me, I felt as if I was closer to the story that way), I closed my eyes and dreamt of the Vento Region of Italy and the city Venice.

I woke with a sore back and burning eyes—maybe it was from the lack of sleep or the way I'd slept last night. When my fatigue dwindled to a moderate state where I just stared at the ceiling, I nearly had a mini heart attack.

Nothing was as I remembered it the night before; not the ceiling, not the walls, not the furniture… nothing. Everything was white and the place exhibited that of a hospital room.

I was still wearing my pajamas (which now felt oddly embarrassing), so that was probably a clear sign that I was dreaming. Though, the fact that I could read everything clearly and had all five of my fingers, toes and all, I was sure that this wasn't a dream…

If it wasn't, then where the heck was I?

Had I astral-traveled? Was I somehow out of my physical body and now an astral body, just floating around in the astral plane? God, I didn't know.

Reaching a hand to my other forearm, I pinched myself, feeling the sudden nip of pain.

Nope, I was in my body.

No one was in the room, now that I finally checked and was done with my little mental breakdown. I was laid down on a white-sheeted medical cot, where a fresh cloth and bowl of water was placed beside my head on a nightstand.

Pictures of familiar gods hung on the blank walls, as if they'd somehow help me. Apollo, Chiron, Dionysus—they were all medical practitioners in mythology, which I found unsettling.

I sat up and swung my legs over the edge of the bed, putting the pads of my feet against the chilling tiles of the floor. Barefooted… great. My right pinky-toenail was all mangled and bent from hitting it against so many tables. (It hurts a lot… I'm not even jesting with you.) Both of my big toenails were cut diagonally, due to ingrown nails. The rest looked fine, all perfect and whatnot.

Distant chatter could be heard, like it was down a ways, probably in another room down the hall or something. It sounded like laughter, and I was almost curious to know what they were pleased about. So, being cautious, I walked to the door and opened it.

It was, indeed, a hallway, and was very empty. Though, the laughter became more prominent and it was unquestionably coming from the next room over. As quiet as I could possibly could, I walked out and looked both ways for no particular reason. My feet padded with that pit-pad sound that bare skin makes.

There was this dining room where all of these teenagers sat, chatting with one another. They seemed pleased for some reason.

"Hey, it looks like Miss Sunshine is up and walkin'," said Latino a guy with chocolate eyes and curly black hair. He was dressed in an orange tee-shirt with overalls.

It took me a while to realize that I was in the door frame, staring at them in my Sponge Bob bottoms and LGBT tee. Best first impression… though, none of them seemed to care about that.

A small African-American girl with wide golden eyes smiled at me. "Come have a seat," she said. "You must be hungry."

As if on cue, my stomach made this sound like a dying whale. With flushed cheeks, I walked forward with my hands clasped in my lap and my posture straight with civility.

"Thank you," I said quietly.

The golden-eyed girl seemed a bit taken aback, but nodded nonetheless and stood to push a largely-built Asian boy aside. She was making room for me to sit down.

"I, uh, actually… I'm not hungry, sorry." Padding away with a heated face, I went back to the little medical room next door.

My stomach still growled, and I silently scolded myself for being such a coward for not eating anything. I guess I lost my appetite when I got nervous, and when I entered a different reality… damn.

There was this knock on the door and I gave a halfhearted, "Yeah?" before realizing that this wasn't my home or my life. I was on the freaking _Argo II_.

The same girl from earlier peeked her curly head in, her golden eyes as all-pervading as ever. She came all the way in and closed the door behind her, sighing as she leaned against it.

"I'm sorry," is the first thing she said. "I should have realized you're not comfortable with us yet. You remind me of my brother."

I nodded, pretending that I didn't know who she was talking about, when I every well knew she was talking about Nico di Angelo, that Italian son of Hades. I didn't know whether to tell any of them that I wasn't a part of their quest, but maybe if I made up a really good lie…

"You're probably not even hungry." She exhaled and looked up to meet me in the eye. "My name's Hazel, by the way."

"Ennis…"

Giving a small smile, Hazel looked genially pleased. Both of our attentions were directed toward the door when Piper McLean walked in, carefully closing the door behind her. She wore that Hello Kitty tank top and jean shorts, with her hair as choppy as ever; a single braid on the left-side.

"Sorry to interrupt," she said, "but we have a problem on the deck. Jason's calling everyone up, including you, Ennis."

"How do you know my name?" I asked.

The daughter of Aphrodite pointed her thumb to the door. "Eavesdropping."

Great…

"Come on," Hazel said, walking with Piper out of the room. "I'm sure whatever Jason wants to talk about is nothing big, and he probably just wants to introduce the crew to you."

"And then you can tell us about yourself and how you got here," Piper concluded, giving me a calculated look.

I only agreed and followed the two girls to the top deck, where Frank, Leo, Jason, and Coach Hedge were waiting. Hedge had this uneasy edge in his eye whenever he gave me his I'm-watching-you scowl. Though, it looked like he was giving everybody that hard stare.

We were all gathered near the quarterdeck where Leo's command station was at the aft of the ship. The helm was cobbled together with random computers, joysticks, and few old Nintendo Wii controllers. Why that Latino hot-head ever became the Supreme Commander of the _Argo II_, I will never know.

"Now…" Jason started this off with a tranquil voice, holding up his hands as if surrendering. "We all understand that this is a strange incident, but this may not just be a coincidence." A hand of his gestured toward me. "Maybe the gods brought her for a reason."

Leo crossed his arms over his chest. "And what reason is that, Superman?"

Jason gave his friend an admonishment look, pursing his scarred lips. However, even the Son of Rome didn't have an answer for my arrival. "I… don't know."

Frank shuffled on his feet, staring sheepishly at the planked floor before glancing up to look at the crew's current leader (besides Nico). "Are we being tested?" Chinese Canadian Baby Man inquired, furrowing his thick eyebrows. We were all mystified, but I think I knew where he was going with this. "I mean, she was obviously brought here for a reason, we know that much. But… her timing is surprisingly… perfect."

I blinked and tried to remember where I'd left off in the _House of Hades_. It dawned on me that, right before I went to bed and woke up in this mess, the Seven were attacked by those rock gods. (Don't even get me started on their names. It's too difficult for me to remember all of these Greek and Latin terms.) So, Percy and Annabeth were in Tartarus, the crew were blaming themselves for their sudden departure, and they were heading to Epirus to the Doors of Death for the Temple of Hades… House of Hades, whatever.

"Ennis was here when I got back from my chat with Hecate," Hazel said, trying to provide helpful information.

"Ennis?" Jason inquired, then looked at me. "That's your name?"

I gave a timid nod, fumbling with my fingers. I was anxious about the sudden fact that, yes, this was all happening. Yes, apparently mythology wasn't just a messed up story to tell.

"I say we all just introduce ourselves," Leo offered. "Who knows how long she'll be with us, so might as well get to know each other."

"I think that's the best thing you've seat all day, Admiral," Piper teased, her kaleidoscope eyes mischievous.

"Oh, shut up, Beauty Queen."

Hazel held up her hands. "You guys, you're going to scare her to Hades."

"You're right." Jason took a step forward, his blue eyes as electric as pure plasma. "My name's Jason Grace, I'm a son of Jupiter."

"Piper McLean, but already knew that." Pipes gave me a small wink. "Daughter of Aphrodite."

"Hazel Levesque, daughter of Pluto."

"Uh…" Frank was being his big clumsy self as always. "I'm Frank Zhang, son of, er, Mars."

"Hedge Gleeson, but you'll call me Coach, Cupcake." Remind me never to get on his bad side…

And then there was Mr. Spock. "Leo Valdez, the best son of Hephaestus there is!"

My bottom lip felt sore from scrapping my teeth against it. What was my title in this story? Who could possibly be my temporary godly parent at this time, and not for them to strike her down for acting as one of their children? (Was that even possible?)

I rubbed my forearm, feeling their eyes on me. My face heated up from discomfiture. "Ennis Cole… mortal."

"Mortal…" Coach Hedge grumbled. "Then why did the gods send you here? You're going to get yourself killed!"

"I—"

"The Satyr's right," came a hoarse voice from the stairs that led to the lower decks. "A mortal would most likely die in an environment like this."

The Italian son of Hades looked pretty much like his descriptions in the books—a painfully thin fourteen year-old boy, with shoulder-length black hair that framed his skeletal face, his eyes very dark and sunken. His black shirt and jeans hung loosely from his body, as if he hadn't slept or eaten anything in days. (Because of Tartarus and Percy falling in, he probably hasn't.)

Hazel's eyes softened when her half-brother came to stand beside her, kissing her softly on her head. "Nico," she said. "I'm sure Ennis can survive longer than a couple of days."

"Yeah," Piper agreed, putting a hand on her hip. "I say two weeks."

"We have to get to the House of Hades sooner than that, Pipes."

Jason interjected. "We don't even know why she's here."

"I can clarify that."

An old man, the oldest I've ever seen, stood near the main mast. He had a long, grey beard that reached his lap, and his skin was marked with age. A linen cloth wrapped around his waist, and a himation was draped diagonally over one shoulder. The strangest thing about him were his wings—long-feathered Swallow wings that were folded behind him. The old god wielded a silver staff with an hourglass on top of it.

"Chronos." The god's name slipped past my tongue before I could catch it.

Nico bristled with anger and apprehension. "Kronos?"

"No," I said before thinking. "Not Kronos, the Titan. Chronos, the god of Time."

Leo made a perplexed expression. "Wait, then why is he here?"

The old god bowed his head. "I heard from the Fates that there was a mortal aboard the _Argo II_," he said, his voice raspy and dry. "It seems as though everything worked out as planned."

"As planned," Jason echoed. "What do you mean by that?"

"Exactly as I'd said it." Chronos' wings ruffled. "To be honest, it was only an experiment, but this gal actually heard my call and answered it wholly. However, I went a little haywire and wanted to see how the Seven would react if something changed—if someone was added."

"I don't get it," Piper said, crossing her arms over her chest. "Ennis is just another person. How would she change anything?"

It came as a late surprise, but I realized that this crazy time god was referring to the _House of Hades_, the book. He probably wanted me to look like a prophet by make everyone's lives miserable for me to know future events, and for them to question if anything was going to work out.

Would Percy and Annabeth survive in Tartarus? What happens after this? Is anyone going to die on this quest? Will Gaea rise or will she fall in a deep sleep?

They didn't know the answers, but I did.

Chronos gave a timid smile; the kind of smile that you get when you've made the perfect plan, and it was about to go down to your will. "Apollo has chosen a single mortal to withstand your questions of the future." His gnarly finger pointed towards me. "Your prophet has been chosen."

That stupid old deity deliberately left all of this on me, as he turned a blind eye on the crew in his true form. The smell of ash-burnt vanilla lingered in the fresh air as the _Argo II_ sailed toward Bologna, Italy.

* * *

><p><strong>I realized that the mess hall on the <strong>_**Argo II**_** is on the first level, but the sickbay is on the second. Yeah, I'll fix that next chapter, sorry.**


	2. Astral Wikipedia

**2**

**Astral Wikipedia**

Chronos left this huge mess that he expected me to clean up. The Seven were asking questions like there was no tomorrow, and I had a headache that was starting to split.

"You guys," I groaned. My annoyance with these relentless queries had thrown my shy-girl persona into the Adriatic Sea. "I don't even understand what Chronos was talking about."

"He said that you were a prophet of Apollo," Frank stated. "What did he mean by that?"

I held up my hands in surrender and took a step back towards the quarterdeck. "I don't know," I admitted. "I have a few theories, but other than that, you're going to have to trust me that _I don't know_."

Jason, being the levelheaded son of Jupiter, requested, "Then at least tell us your theories. We can discuss them in the mess hall."

Everyone agreed on that note, but the son of Hades didn't seem like he would let anything go. His inky eyes glanced at me as if I'd murdered his sister (bad comment, I know), but he held something back. For now, I focused on following Jason below to the first level of the ship.

Coach Hedge muttered something about going to his cabin to watch the games. I wondered if he was going to Iris Message his wind spirit wife Millie about the up-coming battle between the camps, and for her to get to safety.

The mess hall typically looked like a regular dining area, with a highly elongated table (refectory table) adorned with empty silver platters and a few goblets that seemed to be half empty (half full…). The walls of the mess hall seemed to show live video feed from Camp Half-Blood. It almost made me feel right at home, but it also made me feel a little homesick.

Jason took a seat at the head of the table as the others gathered in their seats around him. Nico stood off to the side, and it made me feel distressed to sit at the other head of the table.

All six pairs of eyes stared at me, some more demanding than others. They were all confused to a degree, and I didn't like leaving on such an unclear point of action. So, I took a breath and looked everyone in the eye (even Nico).

"I'll answer one question at a time," I reasoned. "I swear upon the River Styx that I'll answer your questions with as much accuracy as I can."

Even if there was no thunder to symbolize the tied oath upon the wife of Pallas, something deep in my gut told me that the deal was knotted. And the others felt it too.

Leo leaned forward, his elbows perched on top of the table and forearms crossed. "Okay. Well, first of all, what was Kronos talking about when he mentioned that his planned worked?"

"_Chronos_, not Kronos," I corrected.

"Whatever, they sound the same."

Using my knuckles to tap on my thigh, I nodded. "Sorry," I said automatically. "Well, anyway, I'm not really sure what Chronos meant, but I have a theory…" I rubbed my right plica semilunaris, that little moon-shaped nook where eye boogers come from. "There's this thing called astral-traveling, where you subconsciously leave your physical body. In other words, when he mentioned giving out a call and me answering, I assume it was because of the astral thing."

In my peripheral vision, I saw Nico shift his weight, unfolding his arms.

"Astral-traveling," he said, his voice ringing like a low measure. "What is that?"

"It's, um…" I had to think about this. Was it possible for me to compare it to shadow-traveling? "It's similar to—" I waved my hands towards the shadows of the Seven. "—shadow-traveling… in a way. The only difference is that astral-traveling is an out-of-body experience, and has nothing to do with shadows."

Hazel raised a dark eyebrow. "Out-of-body experience?" she repeated.

"It's what I said before," I explained. "Where you subconsciously leave your physical body."

Jason leaned forward. "So it's like dreaming, but you're awake in your dream and can… see yourself?" He seemed unsure of his response, but I nodded, trying to see his point.

"Something like that." My bare feet tapped the titled floor. "When that happens, your, uh, spiritual self then enters the astral plane—"

"What's that?" Piper asked.

When I glanced around at everyone's faces again, they were into this new information. Nico still looked like he wasn't sure, but the question about this traveling thing led me to believe that he was interested…

I chewed on the dried skin of my lower lip, swallowing the dead skin. "Uh, well, the astral plane—or the astral world—is a place of planetary spheres, crossed by the soul in its astral body on the way to being born and after death."

Now their attention was on me, and my definitions were getting far from their questions.

"At any rate, it's like another dimension, but you're never far from your own body or else you'll be lost in the plane." I took a small breath and continued. "Thus, to sum _all _of that up, Chronos was probably talking about his plan on purpose and the Akashic records might have picked it up."

"That sounds familiar," Frank said, rubbing his chin. "Akashic records… yeah, I think I might have heard about it from my grandma."

I nodded. "There's no scientific evidence for the Akashic records, but it's encoded in the astral plane. All sounds are recorded since the beginning of time… oh, my gosh…" I ran a hand through my short cropped hair as the realization crashed hard on me.

It felt as it my mind was overloading on information, and I'd sat myself down before to have a physiological debate. That time of night when you've spent the entire time surfing the web or typing away on your computer or sketching that one masterpiece you know will make you smile every time you look at it—the headache that settles in and the pulsing that pushes against your temples. That was how I felt at this moment.

"You look like you've just figured out the meaning of life," Leo commented, raising his eyebrows.

I pointed my finger randomly on the table surface in front of me. "I don't know, but here," I said tapping the place where my index finger was, "is Chronos, and here is where we mortals are." I traced my finger down towards the edge of the table. "In between is the astral plane, and in that plane is the Akashic record. When talking about his plan, it was recorded and stored within the aether."

"Okay," Jason dragged. "Then how did you get here? Leo and Nico found you out on the deck and brought you to the sickbay. We thought you were working for Gaea or something."

Raising an eyebrow, I gave the Son of Rome a skeptical look, and I swore I saw most faces get misty-eyed. "With the Akashic records, it's only sound. It's possible I might have heard it while I was asleep." I realized that I wasn't answering his question and apologized. "What I mean to say is that, Chronos probably thought I was a mortal who could see through the Mist and decided to mess with you guys, so he almost certainly brought me here for that reason..."

All eyes were still on me, and my face heated up like a furnace. Nico, the flipping son of Hades, and anti-socialist of the _Argo II_ took his seat beside Hazel. He had his hands clasped on the table before him, his Stygian iron sword dangling at his side.

"Are you…" Leo started, but Frank finished his question.

"… a descendent of Athena?"

They seriously thought I was a Greek legacy of Athena? I mean, I didn't even have blonde hair or grey eyes, I was a brunette with blue eyes.

I cleared my throat. "No," I said simply. "Why would you think that?"

"You've got this demeanor about you," Piper said. "It gives you off as serious looking. Besides, you don't have to have blonde hair and grey eyes in order to be a child of Athena."

Nodding, I remembered that I read something over Wikipedia that not all Athena campers had those features. "True, but that doesn't defeat the fact that I'm not an Athena child, instead, some mortal who happened to be blessed by Apollo as a prophet."

My personality clarified the fact that I was actually comfortable here, and I was started to get paranoid because of that. What if I got too comfortable and never wanted to go back? Would I even be able to go back?

"But," Hazel interjected, her golden eyes blazing, "what's your reason for being here? Your intention or claim?"

I shrugged and said that one sentence I love, oh so dearly. "I don't know."

Apparently our meeting ended there, because a large explosion rocked the ship, cause most of everyone to topple out of their seats. I grabbed onto the edge of the table, but my chair tipped underneath me, causing me to land flat on my butt. Leo and Frank ended in the same fate.

"Quod non valent," Jason cursed in Latin. I didn't know how I understood that, but I did, and now I really wanted some Unisom. To just sleep my way thru everything.

The ship lurched like it was hit by an iceberg, and plates and goblets went gliding off the table. Nico stumbled back against the wall, hitting his head. He must have hit it hard, because he slid to the ground.

"Nico!" Hazel got up, stumbling as the _Argo II _pitched in the other direction, trying to reach her half-brother.

Frank tried to stand. "What—?"

"Look!" Jason pointed at the port-side wall. The images of Camp Half-Blood were flickering and changing into something I vaguely remembered.

"Totally uncool," Leo murmured.

I agreed. It was stated in the books that the enchantments on the walls couldn't show anything other than scenes from camp, but that was proven wrong when this huge, distorted face showed up on the wall. It had crooked yellowing teeth, a very unkempt beard, a warty nose, and two uneven eyes. It looked as though the thing was trying to eat its way into the mess hall.

The other walls changed as well, showing what was going on above deck. Since Piper was down here, like she wasn't supposed to be, no one was tied up against the control console.

The face receded from the port-wall, and my brain did a backflip, because I knew what these things were. Cercopes… they were these mischievous forest creatures who lived in Thermopylae (or on Euboea… I don't know), but roamed the world.

There were two of them, Passalus and Acmon, I remembered.

One of them started stuffing things into a burlap bag—Piper's dagger (she must have left it there when we were all up there), Leo's Wii controllers. And then, much to the son of Hephaestus's shock, he pried the Archimedes sphere right out of the command console.

"Hijo de puta," Leo mumbled under his breath. I wasn't good at Spanish (because I took French in high school), but I guessed that it wasn't a very nice phrase.

Nico groaned at his place on the ground. Hazel carefully stood him up, and he didn't look like he suffered from any fatal injury.

"Are those monkey's?" Franks asked, standing up. He felt for his bow and quiver, sighing when he felt them safely crossed over his chest.

Hazel shook her head. "I don't think so. They looked like dwarfs to me."

"They're Cercopes," I specified. Using the table's edge to steady myself, I stood up to my full short height.

"And they're stealing my stuff!" Leo jogged out of the room and towards the stairs. Jason and Franks followed Repair Boy to the top deck, their weapons ready.

Piper leaned against one of the chairs, pulling herself up. Hazel walked Nico and sat him down, checking the back of his head to make sure he was all right. She was a motherly-type half-blood which I hadn't noticed in the books before.

From the images on the walls, it looked like Frank, Leo, and Jason were already on the deck. Nothing at the moment looked good.

Something goes wrong. Maybe it's the fact that one of the Cercopes was messing with a flash-bang grenade or that his brother was dressed horribly.

Jason mouth-yelled something. _Duck! _was my guess, and all three demigods hit the deck just as an explosion goes off, rocking the ship again.

This time, at least, no one fell down or was hit in the head by any platters.

As soon as one of the dwarf brothers took Leo's magical tool belt, they left the ship. One being propelled and the other doing a backflip over the edge. It was a sight to see, but things were missing.

Hazel stayed in the mess hall with Nico, despite his protests, as Piper and I climbed the stairs to the deck.

"What did you call them?" she asked as we were halfway up.

Ugh, I don't like answering questions, but I did anyway. "Cercopes, the dwarf creatures."

"Do you know why they're here?"

Shrugging and holding onto the rail as we scaled, I said, "They like shiny stuff."

The helm and quarterdeck came into view. Coach Hedge was swinging his basketball bat around, yelling, "Die, you monkey-dwarf measles!" He almost hit Jason in the back of the head as he and Leo were talking near the edge. Frank stood aimlessly beside them, but was listening on their conversation.

"You feeling good enough to control the winds?" Leo asked. "I need a lift."

Jason frowned. "Sure, but—"

"Good… we've got some monkey dudes to catch."


	3. Katoblepones

**3**

**Katoblepones**

It was about an hour before Jason and Leo got back with everything that was stolen, and more.

While rummaging in the pile of stolen stuff Passalus and Acmon had, Leo had found an old bronze astrolabe that Odysseus had created, and a leather-bound book. The Cercopes had told Jason and him that the owner of the book lived in Venice, on Calle Frezzeria.

It was still a few hours till noon, which surprised me how slow this October was. Usually summer was like this, but since they were technically in Italy, I guessed that it was summer season. Strange.

When Frank finally came out, we were all at the starboard rail. The _Argo II _was docked near a busy wharf. A shipping channel was on one side, about half a kilometer wide, and on the other side was the city of Venice. Everything was colorful—red-tiled roofs, metal church domes, steepled towers, and sun-bleached buildings that could make Iris weep desirously.

The lion must have been the city's mascot, because statues of them were all over the place.

Green canals took the places of streets through the neighborhoods, each one jam-packed with motorboats. Tourists overwhelmed the sidewalks, shopping at T-shirt kiosks, flooding from stores, and reclining across acres of outdoor café tables. San Francisco had tourists, and a lot of them, especially during Pride, but Venice was ridiculous!

"What _are _they?" Hazel asked.

A bunch of _katoblepones _milled around through the crowds. They resembled a domestic bull, with a heavy mane, scaly back and shaggy eyebrows that covered their eyes.

They lumbered across the promenade, snuffling and licking the pavement. Occasionally some tourists would come up and pet it, so it didn't seem to be bothered by mortals. I wondered what they thought it was through the Mist.

"The mortals think they're stray dogs," Jason said.

"Or pets roaming around," Piper said. "My dad shot a film in Venice once. I remember him telling me there were dogs everywhere. Venetians love dogs."

It was nice listening on others' conversations. I already knew Piper was the daughter of Tristin McLean, an A-list movie star. I'd have to talk to Piper about clothes and such; maybe ask her to talk to her mother for a few outfits for me or something. Yes, allow me to take advantage of the demigods at hand.

Frank frowned. He was probably self-loathing himself for only being able to turn into animals. But he asked, repeating Hazel's question, "But what are they? They look like… starving, shaggy cows with sheepdog hair."

He waited for someone to enlighten him on any further information. Alarmingly, Piper turned to me, seeing how I was able to name those Cercopes. Jason raised a blond eyebrow, like he didn't quite trust me to help them out on this one.

I looked over the railing at the _katoblepones_ down below. "They're called _katoblepones_," I specified, rubbing my wrists. "They're from Ethiopia. I read that their stare and breath could turn people to stone, or kill them."

"Oh, lucky us," Leo said sarcastically. "But they look so harmless. They're ignoring the mortals."

"Harmless!" Coach Hedge laughed. He had the long end of his bat resting on his shoulder, looking ready to fight off any poison-breathing monsters. "Valdez, how many harmless monster have we met? We should just aim the ballistae and see what happens."

Leo gave the satyr a disapproving look. "Uh, no."

Frank and the rest seemed to agree with Mr. Blue Bottoms. The weapons would cause collateral damage if they tried targeting one of those creatures, and if one of them got panicked and decided to start a stamped… It would not be a very nice day in Venice.

"Let's just go through them," I suggested. "They're peaceful enough."

"But you just said that they could turn us to stone!" Leo exclaimed.

I nodded. "Yeah?" Me staring at the Hephaestus boy seemed to have actually worked, because he raised his hands in surrender, backing away from the disagreement. "Just don't look at them in the eye or breathe whatever they exhale. They eat poisonous vegetation."

Piper grinned and her kaleidoscope eyes were filled with so much hope, I was almost afraid to say anything else from now on.

Leo pulled the book out from underneath his arm. "So, walking to find the owner is the only way, huh?" He'd put a sticky note on the cover with the address on it.

"La Casa Nera," he read. "Calle Frezzeria."

"The Black House," Nico translated dryly. "Calle Frezzeria is the street."

Franked looked startled when Nico stood at his side, being all quiet and brooding as he was.

"You speak Italian?" Frank queried.

Mr. di Angelo gave him a warning glare. "Ennis's right." His voice was calm. "We have to find that address. The only way to do it is to walk the city. Venice is a maze. We'll have to risk the crowds and those… _katoblepones_."

Thunder rumbled across the summer sky. I thought Zeus (or Jupiter) might be upset with my presence here, helping the Seven, but Jason frowned at the horizon.

"Maybe I should stay on board," he said. "There were a lot of _venti_ in that storm last night, and if they decide to attack the ship again…"

He didn't finish, and he didn't need to. I knew most of the people aboard who'd had experiences with angry wind spirits. Since Jason was the son of Jupiter, he was the only one who had any luck with fighting them.

Coach Hedge grunted. "Well, I'm out too. If you softhearted cupcakes—yes, even you, Ms. Optimistic—are going to stroll through Venice without even whacking those furry animals on the head, forget it. I don't like boring expeditions."

_I'm not that optimistic_, I thought as I furrowed my eyebrows.

"It's okay, Coach." Leo grinned, his pointed ears rising slightly. "We still have to repair the foremast. Then I need your help in the engine room. I've got an idea for a new installation."

The gleam in Leo's chocolate eyes told me his 'installation' was anything near extreme or over the top. I didn't quite understand the Archimedes sphere; it was just a ball of metal, but it was Leo's baby.

"Well…" Piper shuffled her feet silently. "Whoever goes should be good with animals. I, uh… I'll admit I'm not great with cows."

Stifling a smile, I covered my mouth with my hand, but the daughter of Aphrodite saw. She pursed her lips, giving me a lively glare. I'd ask her about that story later.

"Ennis should go," Hazel proposed, acknowledging me with a nod. "She's blessed by Apollo, so she's got to know what's going to happen. And she knows a lot about these _katoblepones_, and probably anything else."

I inhaled deeply, feeling my chest tighten with… was that fear? Maybe nervousness. Realizing my situation, I didn't have a weapon, I didn't know how to use a weapon, and my best guess that I'd be helpful would be if I named the god we were about to meet.

But I nodded and agreed. My dad always told me I was a people-pleaser, and I completely agree with him.

Codependency may be my fatal flaw if I were a demigod, because I never want to let people down. Especially people who were related to the gods.

No one called out, "I object!" so I was fairly certain that I was voted on this one.

"I'll go," Frank said.

I was very relieved, but I tried not to show it. I didn't want Hazel to get the wrong idea that I enjoyed Frank's accompaniment. I did, but that was only because he reminded me of my stepbrother. Nothing was between us, and I barely even knew the guy.

Maybe Frank volunteered since he was anxious to be useful. Or he didn't want anyone beating him to the punch. _Since Frank can turn into animals, let's send him_.

Leo patted Frank on the shoulder and handed him the leather-bound book. "Awesome. If you happen to pass a hardware store, could you get me some tow-by-fours and a gallon of tar?"

"Leo," Piper chided, "it's not a shopping trip."

"I'll go with Frank and Ennis," Nico offered.

Frank's eye twitched. I guessed the war gods' voices in his head were starting to get to him.

Secretly, I was totally stoked about this. I had no idea if someone who was reading the book right now would find the chapters hijacked by some mary-sue named Ennis Cole.

Well, then. I bite my thumb at you, sir.

"Uh…" Frank seemed a little nervous about the whole Nico coming along thing. "You're good with animals?"

Di Angelo smiled without humor. "Actually, most animals hate me. They can sense death. But there's something about the city…" His expression turned grim, like he was remembering his time in that bronze jar. "Lots of death. Restless spirits. If I go, I may be able to keep them at bay. Besides, as you noticed, I speak Italian."

Leo scratched the side of his head. "Lots of death, huh? Personally, I'm trying to avoid lots of death, but you guys have fun!"

Seriously, Frank didn't look too good about this, with Nico coming along and all. I glanced at Hazel for any sort of help, and she almost immediately understood. With her eyes and body language, she said: _Keep them calm. Get to know them._

I gave her a small nod and smile.

Nico stared out over the scenery of Venice. "All right, then. Let's go and find the owner of that book."

Venice was nice and all, but it was so _hot _and there were so many _people_. Before leaving, Piper allowed me to borrow an outfit she had—an orange Camp half-Blood T-shirt, a pair of skinny denim jean capri pants, and some sneakers. It was light enough where I didn't sweat as much, but I felt like a sore thumb with how bright the shirt was.

Oh, my gosh. The streets were so _narrow_! Between the rows of old houses and canals, they were tiny enough, but with the tourists stopping every now and then to take pictures, Venice wasn't big enough for everyone.

The _katoblepones_ made things much worse. They'd shuffle around, their heads bowed low, bumping into people and sniffing the pavement.

Some licked and nibbled at the cracks, eating vegetation that looked like Atropa belladonna. It was commonly known at Belladonna or Deadly Nightshade that usually grew in Europe, North Africa, and Western Asia. The foliage and berries on it were extremely toxic, but were used in herbal medicine as a pain reliever, muscle relaxer, and anti-inflammatory, and to treat menstrual problems… shhh. You didn't hear that from me.

Yay, useless information.

"You were right," Frank said, giving me a side glance. "They're plant-eaters. That's good news."

He stood tall, his chest puffed out. To me, Frank looked like a typical fifteen year-old body guard. If any of these monsters tried to hurt Nico or me, I'm sure the son of Mars would gladly turn into a rhinoceros and push those poison-eating bulls into the canal.

Nico stopped. "There."

We turned on this small street, smaller than the ones we were walking on, leaving the canal behind. A plaza was ahead of us, lined with five-story buildings. The place looked isolated, as if there was something here that drew the mortals' attention away from it. My guess would be a haunted house or something, but a bunch of _katoblepones_ were shuffling, their head bent low, around the base of a stone well.

"A lot of cows in one place," Frank said, noticing the obvious.

Nico gestured toward a stone archway carved with lions that led into another narrow street. "Yeah, but look. Past that archway." Just past the archway was the only house that was painted black.

"The Black House," I guessed, and I didn't have to be a prophet to know that was our destination.

For some reason, I could see this light gray mist that settled in the plaza. I pressed my fingers to the hem of my shirt. "This place feels weird… I don't like it."

Frank gave me a confused look. He was sweating like crazy. Nico turned his head ever so slightly, his inky eyes staring at me with that suspicious gaze. He regarded the town-house windows, which were covered with wooden shutters.

"You're right, Ennis. This neighborhood is filled with lemures."

"Lemurs?" Frank asked apprehensively. "I'm guessing you don't mean those little furry guys from Madagascar?"

There was a pause, as if Nico was waiting for me to say something. Sure, I knew he was going to explain what lemures were, but I gave the son of Hades that limelight.

He sighed quietly and said, "Angry ghosts. Lemures go back to Roman times. They usually hang around in Italian cities, but I've never felt so many in one place. My mom told me…" Nico hesitated. "She used to tell me stories about the ghosts of Venice."

I could still remember Hazel's calm golden eyes telling me to help Frank and Nico, and to get to know them. At least, that's what I thought she was trying to say, and Nico really needed to learn how to be social.

"Your mother was Italian?" That seemed like a stupid question. I already knew his father was Hades, and he was already Italian, so who better than it to be? "Was she from Venice?"

Frank looked relieved, giving me a thankful shy smile. I smiled back.

"Yeah." Nico bobbed his head unenthusiastically. "She met Hades here back in the 1930's, and when World War Two got closer, she fled to the U.S. with my sister and I—Bianca, my other sister. I don't remember much of Italy, but I can speak the language."

I wanted Frank to talk to Nico, so I tried to zone out of their awkward conversation. We'd have to go around the well and give the creatures' space if we wanted to get to the Black House—that seemed easy. But the fact that those plant vines were starting to stir beneath the cracked pavement, meant that those bull-looking monsters were going to be at their heels.

Nico was telling Frank about how he was sending out a message for the lemures to _not _bother them, but I ignored that topic and took a step forward.

Why am I doing this, you may ask? Well, proud reader, I am doing this out of curiosity. That, and so I can show those two guys that I'm awesome and can totally skirt the well to avoid the _katoblepones_.

Frank noticed when I was halfway across the plaza. He looked paranoid, like he was watching his child try to do the monkey bars, right before they fell and scraped their knee. Nico calculated the scene at hand, seeing if anything would go wrong.

I didn't trip (yay!) and I never once looked at any of the _katoblepones_ in the eye (thank God), but when poisonous vines started inching toward my ankles, I will admit—I freaked out.

One _katobleps_ shuffle toward me as I was just an arm's reach away from a side street. Nico and Frank were a few feet behind me, trying to avoid the vines and creatures as well.

_Weapon_, I thought. _I should have brought a freaking weapon_.


	4. Shoplifting In Venice

**4**

**Shoplifting In Venice**

Everything went downhill when I decided to look at one of the _katobleps_.

Nausea hit me in my stomach and in my head. I felt like I drank too many venti hot chocolates and watched that one banned episode of Pokémon, where they flashed those red and blue colors.

I covered my mouth with my hand and held my stomach with the other. Turning my back on those creatures, I threw up. I didn't feel any better—my hands were shaking and my mouth tasted like baking powder mixed with dark chocolate. Not a very pleasant combination.

Frank totally had my back though. He turned into this giant lion as I stumbled into the side street, swatting two or three _katoblepones_ left and right. Nico turned a few into a black hot mess, using his Stygian iron sword and all.

I felt completely useless. Propping myself up on the back wall, I watched the scene go down: Frank trying his best to keep them at bay, making sure they didn't get past him. A few did, but Nico took care of them. The son of Hades stood a few feet in front of me, hacking at the poison-producing monsters, turning them into black goop.

I wanted to help, so I picked up a decent sized rick, perched my arm up, and followed threw. It landed with a dull _thud _by Nico's feet, but did no damage whatsoever.

A toxic smell lingered, and I had to cover my nose and mouth with the palm of my hand from throwing up again. My stomach still churned like the furious sea, and my head spun like a top. Nico might have asked if I was alright, but I didn't even notice.

The door to my right swung open, and I was vaguely aware of someone stepping out and saying something. Nico looked doubtful and cautious, like the guy standing in the threshold was some sort of unhuman creature with mortal skin.

Frank had retreated back and was in his human form now, somehow trying to help me up. When did he get there? Whatever, I just wanted a short four-hour nap.

I think I passed out after Frank helped me into the Black House.

My conscious was lifted from my body, like it does when I astral-travel. This time, however, it was completely by accident. I wasn't even aware of it until I saw where I was.

"You've got to be kidding me…" I sighed when I saw the mouth of the cave.

The House of Hades, a normal-looking temple, was before me. The entrance was a simple door-less stone entryway, where the mouth of a tunnel started. I stood in an excavated trench that seemed narrow, but was probably larger than I thought.

Deciding to just get it done, I followed the mouth of the tunnel down through a passageway that gradually spiraled downward. Arches supported the ceiling, but the entire thing didn't look all that old… but that was my assumption.

As I continued, light faded from the entrance, and everything started to get all gloomy and dark. I marveled at the architecture of the temple, aimlessly thinking as I followed the paved trail.

From the book, I remembered Nico explaining that this part of the temple wasn't even a part of the actual House of Hades. It was only the basement of some manor house. He mentioned that when the archaeologists excavated the site, they thought they found the place, but they saw that the ruins were newer, and decided it was the wrong place.

You know that boredom that works its way up, and then you have to pierce the silence in order to keep your thoughts from wandering? Yeah, that's what I had. I started singing "Riptide" by Vance Joy.

"Lady, running down to the riptide, taken away to the dark side. I wanna be your left hand man—ow!"

I rubbed my nose. It didn't exactly hurt, and I didn't feel anything, but _ow! _was more out of shock than pain.

Though, ignoring the huge block of stone, I passed right through it. My dull cobalt-colored body was technically by soul (astral body), so I was like a regular ghost. And I walked down the set of stairs, humming "Riptide," and staring at the crude paintings of the cattle of Hades.

When I got to the foot of the stairs, there was another stairway. One the first step of that, a golden chalice gleamed in the eerie dullness of the place. When I peered within the cup, it was empty. There wasn't any poison inside.

"Weird," I said to myself.

Then I descended those stairs, but I knew where I was going. The stairs split again and went through an archway that looked like all the same. My consciousness felt stronger, now that I was leaving the world of the living, getting further and further from my physical body.

Finally, an archway with carved skulls outlining it came into view, and I knew I was really close to the Doors of Death. I don't know why my astral body would just decide to come to Epirus, but I learned that it was best not to know the answers to things.

Corridor after corridor, they became larger; more room. A small army could fit in a few of them.

I walked into this huge circular cavern, with a really high ceiling that got lost in the darkness. At least a couple dozen other tunnels led off different directions. The floor was littered with skeleton bones and jewels, with formed pretty awesome-looking patterns.

Clearing the cavern, I walked through a doorway on the opposite end.

_Why am I being so quiet? _I asked myself.

"Ugh…" My stomach started to hurt, which was weird, considering the fact that I was a spirit and spirits don't have stomach problems. "Oh, my God. I think I'm going to throw up again."

I clenched my stomach, and blinked.

"Well, your friend is awake."

I stared up at a young man. He had curly black hair and his eyes were a warm golden color, like grain in a rich field. Instantly, by his handsome looks, I developed a crush on him. Shhh… you would've done the same thing.

Sitting up, I ran my fingers through my short bangs, feeling the prickly ends of my cropped hair. Frank stood at my side, fidgeting with his fingers. When he saw that I wasn't _dead_, he gave a heavy sigh in relief and gave me a quick hug. It was a nice hug. I like hugs.

Nico was actually in human form and not a corn plant, standing near the only entrance and exit. He was brushing corn silk from his clothes, grumbling about popcorn and fertilizer.

Looking around the place, I noticed that we were in the Black House, so we were still in Venice. The handsome guy I just so happened to have a crush on was Triptolemus, I noticed, and I mentally scolded myself.

He told us about the House of Hades, what we'd be dealing with. That there'd be poison to drink and only barley was the answer to surviving. He told us there was barley in the front and wished us good luck on getting a degree in farming.

Frank, Nico, and I took that barley Trip offered us and left the Black House. Something about the air seemed light and not as… _death-y_.

"Frank," I said, getting the son of Mars' attention, "did you kill those _katoblepones_?"

He seemed nervous, but with his new form—broader shoulders, gutless stomach and taller build—Frank didn't seem all that uneasy as he usually is.

"I… uh. I sort of got rid of them all—in the entire Venice." Frank played with the hem of his shirt, like he was afraid of what Nico and I were going to think of him.

A hero, yes. A coward, no.

"Frank," Nico said, "that's really brave. I don't think I'd been able to do that."

Frank thanked Nico and an awkward silence filled the hot summer air. Ha, that's when I remembered I didn't have any clothes aboard the _Argo II_. So, I waited until we were near the main shopping area to start looking around.

"This wasn't a shopping trip," Nico reminded me, repeating what Hazel had said to Leo before we left. "Besides, we don't even have any money."

I sighed tensely, looking over at an H&M that had really cute high-waisted skirts and shorts, with a few tops and shoes in the window. I knew what I had to do, but I was afraid I wouldn't be allowed back into Venice if I did it, or at least in this specific part of Venice.

Ignoring Frank and Nico's protests of buying stuff, I walked over to H&M. The son of Mars looked reluctant to follow, but little Italian Nico sighed and trailed me. Frank had to follow.

A few people stared as I walked in, grabbing a black bag from the front, but after giving them a quick smile and a small nod, they didn't bother me again. That was when I started taking clothes off the racks and draping them over my arm, and grabbing more. Shorts, skirts, tank tops, T-shirts, pants, and even undergarments (Frank and Nico nonchalantly walked away at that part).

I slipped into the back, into the changing rooms, and started tearing the tags off. I broke the plastic things off and stuffed them in my back pockets, along with the price tags.

I stuffed the clothes in the bag I got from the front of the store, and walked out. I tried to look like I owned the place—straight back, squared shoulders, and a steady step in my stride.

"Lo si paga?" a lady dressed in fancy clothing asked me. She was really pretty, and I felt a ping of guilt swell inside my gut. "E 'questo il tuo?"

From what little Latin I learned in sophomore year, I understood little of those questions to know what she was talking about. Frank and Nico decided to stand off, looking at shoes.

"Uh…" I started to sweat and I could feel my cheeks heating up. "Si," I answered with a nod. "Sono."

The lady didn't look too sure, but I gave her a smile and walked toward the door. Nico and Frank soon followed me out, eyeing the bag I had inquisitively.

"What's in the bag?" Frank asked.

We were heading toward the ship now, which was still docked above the wharf. The heat was almost unbearable, and I'm sure I was going to have a sunburn on my face when we got back. "The definition of white," Leo was probably going to mock.

I tightened the bag's strap on my shoulder. "Clothes."

"But we didn't have any money…" He trailed, realizing the situation.

"Yeah, I know."

Nico looked at me, his inky eyes more of a dark brown than black. "You mean you _stole_? Ennis, that's shoplifting. You could get arrested here in Venice."

The Argo II drifted just up ahead, and I nodded my head, wiping my hairline with my hand. "It's a good thing we're not going to be in Venice very long then."


	5. Akashic Records Explode

**5**

**Akashic Records Explode**

My title as 'guest' faded with my virtuousness. Killing monsters became a consistent activity on a regular basis, and I finally understood first-handedly why demigods are uptight about getting stuff done—something could go wrong after a small slip-up, and the whole crew would be in a fucked up loop of events.

That's when Jason and Hazel started teaching me sword fighting, and Frank archery. I was still shy around them, but with Hazel and Piper by my side, I felt confident in a new way of sorts. I acted differently than I did when I first arrived aboard the _Argo II_, and I thanked the gods for that.

"You've got to keep your elbow bent all the way—yeah, like that." Frank brought back his arm, an arrow nocked on his bow string. "Right… now put your three fingers on your cheeks, with your thumb below your chin. Like that, perfect." He followed his own instructions. "Now—hold that arrow up. You can't let it fall… Now, pull back, and… let it go."

I did everything Frank told me to do, and even thought of myself as the new Katniss Everdeen. The arrow only made it eight feet before plummeting to the ground with an echoing clatter.

"You know," I said as I tried for another arrow, "I've got a feeling I'm probably going to die if I'm ever put in real danger." Nocking the sleek arrow onto my bow string, I brushed my three fingers against my cheek and pressed my thumb under my chin. "Like if an unwelcome deity comes or Leo actually learns to pick up girls."

Frank gave a friendly chuckle and rearranged my arrow. "I'm sure you'll do fine," he reassured. "Besides, you're the only mortal I've seen who can withstand Jason at arm-wrestling. Two minutes…"

I sighed and shook my head. "I was just bored, and Jason was bored, and we ended up arm wrestling with Piper as our referee."

"And I was the best damn referee there." Piper and Hazel sat a ways away from Frank and I, saying that I was as good as a shooter as Leo was at picking decent music.

"I know you were," I hollered back, pulling the arrow back and releasing it with a small breath. It landed half a foot farther than the last one.

Hazel had this genuine smile that made her golden eyes sparkle like a million dollars' worth of drachma. "You're getting better," she said. "I think a couple more lessons and you'll be shooting arrowheads like Diana… or Artemis, given her Greek equivalent."

I shook my head and rested my arm, bringing the bow down at my side. My quiver still had quite a few arrows in it, but the makeshift Octavian Leo created already looked banged up.

"Nah. Give me at least a month… or two, and I'll be just half as good as Frank." The compliment rolled over my tongue so easily, for a second I thought that I was lying. But I wasn't.

It was like that for the next couple of days—Frank teaching me archery, and Jason and Hazel teaching me sword fighting. I wasn't the best. I still fell, my sword was almost always knocked from my hand, and my arrows never reached Dummy Octavian. But I never quit (okay, at first I did, but I was told not to dwell on it).

It was the third day after Venice, and I was pretty sure the _Argo II _wasn't supposed to lurch back and forth.

Getting out of bed, I stumbled out of Annabeth's room. The Seven agreed that, while the daughter of Athena was in Tartarus with her boyfriend, I was allowed to use her cabin until she and Percy came back.

There was yelling and clashing of fighting on the deck above. The ship rocked again, and I had to hold onto the door's handle to support myself. Grabbing my Celestial bronze sword I picked out from the armory, I jogged past Jason, Frank, and Coach Hedge's rooms, ignoring the mess hall and galley.

"What in God's name…" A giant turtle's head rose far above the _Argo II_. Salt water dripped heavily on the deck, making it slippery. Frank stumbled a few times.

"Wrong religion," Leo hollered from where he was at the helm, messing with his controls.

I sighed and looked at the stern. It was on fire, but the projection of Leo's 'idea' allowed some distance from the creature. The boat skipped over the waves like a skipping stone. Hazel and Piper climbed onto Arion as they tried to distract the beast from eating the _Argo II_.

When Hazel and Piper did their best, the giant turtle didn't slow down. It was catching up. Though, once they were safely harbored in the narrow waters between a strip of land and the white mountains of the mainland, the tortious waited at the mouth. Its shell was too big for it to get through, but the creature glared at them with its beastly-large golden eyes.

"Leo," Piper said, walking over to the little Latino. "When did we have jet propulsion?"

The son of Hephaestus had a mischievous gleam in his eyes as he tried to look diffident, and failed. "Aw, you know. It was just something I whipped up in my spare time. Wish I could give you more than a few seconds of burn, but at least it got us out of there."

"And it roasted the turtle's head," Jason said admiringly. He clapped Leo on the back, giving his close friend a supporting smile, but frowned at where the giant turtle treaded water at the channel's mouth. "But… what now?"

Coach Hedge exclaimed, "Kill it, of course!" He used his baseball bat to swipe the air. "Come on! We've got weapons, we've got distance. Lock and load, demigods… and mortal."

I rubbed the corner of my eye and decided to join in with the group, seeing how the giant turtle wasn't going anywhere, and Sciron wouldn't shoot his arrow until later. I moved slow, taking each step carefully until I was standing at Piper's shoulder.

She caught my eye, that daughter of Aphrodite, and asked me if I was all right. I only nodded my head, but my stomach ached, and I was afraid a _katobleps_ was onboard or something.

Jason started tell Coach about how his plan wouldn't work, that he'd lost his sword due to the satyr and that the turtle's shell was like Nemean Lion skin. They argued back and forth; Frank trying to help, and I was just about to announce the problem, when Nico beat me to the punch.

"Guys!" he called from where he was up on the mast. "Sailing the other direction is a no go." He pointed towards the prow, where the channel met at a V.

I scratched behind my ear, feeling my gauge. I also felt that one acne bump that hurt every time I poked at it… great.

Everyone was discussing what they could do so that they weren't trapped by the giant sea turtle that kept roaring. Again, I was about to say something about what might happen, when my words got caught in the back of my throat, and a startled yelp rang out instead.

An arrow was shot a few inches from Piper's face, right into the mainmast. Out of natural reflexes, I grabbed Piper by her shoulders and pulled her back. I thought she was going to get shot.

That was when everything went down the way it had in the book—everyone hit the deck not wanting to get pierced by another arrow, Piper said that there was a note, and Hazel read it aloud.

When she was done, I said exuberantly, "Finally. I thought he was never going to come."

They gave me an eyeing look, so I explained myself.

I told them about Sciron, who he was in mythology and who he was now (technically the same person, but working for Gaia). I told them that Jason and Hazel needed to go, because Gale would be watching if Hazel would _pass _or not. (It was difficult to explain that part, but the daughter of Pluto understood.)

"Well," Coach Hedge pressed, "do we win or not? You're the prophet, right?"

Wiping my brow, I shrugged. "I can't tell you. And I'm not a _prophet_, Coach. I was just so happened to be blessed by Apollo." I crossed my arms over my chest.

Leo scratched his jaw. "That still means you're a prophet," he pointed out.

"Okay." I held my hands up, and gestured around as I spoke. "Then I'm a very confused prophet."

"Oh, well, that's not good."

Piper gave him a cross look. "Leo, don't you have some oars to fix?"

"By the gods, don't even get me _started _on those." The Latino half-blood grumbled in Spanish as he walked back to his control station at the helm of the ship.

Jason and Hazel left for the top of the cliff, climbing up the side of the rock face by the steps that were carved into the side. It was a while before two shots were heard, and a bullet was blasted between Frank's feet. The other, if I remembered correctly, had made a groove just above Jason's left ear.

Oh, the fun facts.

During all of this, and knowing that Sciron would be body-slammed off of the cliff and eaten by his own turtle, I chose to head below deck to the mess hall. Sheathing my sword in its scabbard, I did just that.

A magical plateful of mixed rice, vermicelli, and Asian seasoning and a goblet full of Coca-Cola was heaven to me. I hadn't eaten much for a couple of days, due to depression and social isolation, so I was quite content at this moment.

"It would be easier if you simply interacted with them."

Glancing up quickly after taking a forkful of my delicious rice, I saw the god of Time had taken a comfy seat across from me. His hands were interlocked together, like he was about to lecture me about something very important. With deities, it was usually always vital information.

"Chronos," I said, my voice higher than usual. "What are you doing here?" I pushed the plate of rice aside and kept eyeing the goblet of Cola. "Wait—why are you here? What about your counterpart self?"

Chronos waved it off. "The gods' counterparts are constantly getting mixed up—changing and whatnot. I am _the _personification of Time, my dear. I birthed Aether and Chaos. I was the first ruler of the universe."

"That's…" I tapped the tabletop with my fingers. "… very disturbing. Why are you telling me this?"

"Because I was born alone," Father Time said, his wise eyes the color of sand. They seemed to reflect my current frame of mind: depression. "Before my children came into this universe, I was always unaided. To be the only being known to… no one, was miserable."

To hear the sadness within the god's voice gave me his own feelings that started to arise. I could actually _feel _his depression as my own, and to be honest, I actually felt the need to use my sword for purposes other than slaying monsters. But those feelings quickly went away after Chronos caught himself.

"I'm sorry," he apologized candidly. "As I am trying to get across, your emotions are normal."

I blinked. That was all? "I could have figured that out by myself," I specified calmly. "But… why are you here?" The thought of Jason and Hazel's task with Sciron rang in my head, and I almost tipped the chair over when I stood up. "Oh, my God. I completely forgot about Sky-ron."

Chronos shook his head, gesticulating for me to sit down. "Calm down, my dear. I assure you, your friends are safe… frozen in time, but out of harm's way."

"What—?"

"Time has stopped since my arrival, young one." Chronos leaned back in the chair he was sitting in, getting comfortable. "For this reason, I have terrible news to share with you."

Great… something to make me even more depressed. It wasn't because of isolation or anything, but because self-loathing and homesickness. I didn't need bad news at this moment, but I took it anyway.

Chronos straightened his back like the deity he was. "The Akashic Records," he began, "have unsuspectingly shattered. All information since the beginning of time has been erased from existence."

The goblet of Coca-Cola I'd picked up to take a sip slipped from my grasp in an echoing clatter. Cola went all over the floor.

"What?" I exclaimed, my volume increasing. "Why? What happened? Who would have done this? How is that even _possible_? I thought the Akashic Records were in the astral plane. They can't be reached unless you're astral-traveling or dead."

The god of Time gave me a knowing look, as if he had all of the answers, but expected me to tell him what they were. "Yes, I know. But do you also know the other name for the astral plane?"

"Astral world…?"

Such a judgmental gaze from such an old man, I thought he was going to scold me on being a teenager (that teenager who does teenager stuff). "No, my dear. Aether. My son of the upper air."

"Wait, so—"

The ship lurched slightly, but it wasn't like it was when the turtle attacked. Chronos' frozen time abilities were tiring out. There was a collective gasp above deck, and Piper's voice ripped through the air like a wailing banshee. Jason must have been kicked off of the cliff by Sciron.

Chronos' features wavered from his winged self to a wingless middle-aged man. He was started to get a splitting headache (I think).

"By the cosmic egg." He put a wrinkly hand to his head and sighed. "It seems as though my Roman counterpart is trying to come through. Ennis Cole, remember this discussion. You must be more careful when entering my son's realm. He may not be as welcoming as he has in the past."

"Okay," was all I could say before Chronos flashed away in a blinding light. I looked away in time, but everything seemed to speed up.

Time was normal again, but something felt wrong. It was like when you say something, and that one word doesn't settle and stays in the air. Since nothing was being recorded in the aether, no words felt the same. Everything was loose and awkward.

My appetite was lost. I cleaned up the mess on the floor as fast as I could before heading above the deck. Hazel and Jason came back safely, thank God—gods, whatever. Miss Metal Detector got a giant hug from Frank, in which she kissed him on the cheek. Jason got a peck on the lips by Piper, which was a cute scene to watch. Nico gave his half-sister a gentle kiss on the head, telling her good job, and left for the top of the sail.

Kisses all around.

It was near noon when everything died down. Jason and Piper stayed above deck for watch out duty, as the rest of us headed below to rest. Leo said he was going down to the main engine room and then the stables to check on the Athena Parthenos. Nico, as always, stayed on top of the mainmast, looking over the Adriatic Sea.

I decided I'd tell everyone what I knew about the House of Hades and what they'd be expecting later on in the day. But right now, a bed and a pillow sure sounded like heaven to me.


	6. Athena, My Patron

**Enjoy!**

**6**

**Athena, My Patron**

Don't you hate it when your soul leaves your body, and then you can't get it back? Yeah, I know, it sucks.

All light and color faded to where it was only shades of black and grey, and it all contorted as if everything was under water. My mind felt solid and clear, but my body fondled like fog in the San Francisco Bay Area. I didn't feel whole. Nothing felt whole.

Voices danced within my head. They sounded distant and wavered, echoing off of every quivering wall. I couldn't understand them, but one voice stood out. I didn't know who it belonged to, but it beckoned me to it, like iron to a magnet. And soon, I found myself standing in a very long hallway.

A single door, painted a very bold red, was at the end of the hall. Everything around me dispersed as the floor became a path of nothing. Only the door and I stood among each other.

So, taking a deep breath, I walked towards the door. With my arms aching, I turned the knob and was met with… my apartment.

In the living room, a young man walked back and forth, a bundled infant in his arms. Golden light illuminated around him, like a holy aura. He couldn't be more than seventeen years old. I guessed he was one of my mom's friend's sons.

"You have a wonderful life ahead of you, little one," he said, his voice as soft as silk. The baby cooed and reached its pudgy little hands out for the guy's face. "Oh, yes, I like you." His smile held mischievousness as he gently pressed his palm to the child's tiny forehead. "I, Apollo, god of music, poetry, art, oracles, archery, plague, medicine, sun, light and knowledge give you, little Ennis Cole, my sanctification."

I literally couldn't believe what I was seeing. Apparently that annoyingly red door led me to my past, when I was just a little _bambino_. So, Chronos was telling the truth after all. I _was _a blessed prophet of Apollo.

My father's voice crashed my train of thoughts.

"Will she be all right?" he asked, his form towering over the god. "I mean, from… _you know_."

Apollo withdrew his hand and bounced baby-me in his arms. "It's hard to say," the god said. "She's only a legacy of the gods, not a half-blood. However, because of her innate knowledge and the fact that I just blessed her, I'm sure they'll be after her scent."

My father looked pale, but nodded. "Is there any way for me to keep her safe?" he inquired, rubbing his large hands together nervously. "I'm sure San Carlos—"

"Oh, _gods _no." Apollo gave my dad a scolding look. "I'm sure you mean well for your daughter, Mr. Cole, but you must understand that she cannot be near Mount Othrys—too many monsters. Her presence must be presented to that of the mortal parent."

"Shana?" he questioned. "But… if Ennis is in my ex-wife's custody, then I won't be able to see her until she's eighteen!"

Apollo looked ready to put my dad down in a long conversation. He bowed his head. "Those are your consequences, not mine." The sun god glanced down at baby-me and smiled comically. "Isn't that right, Ennis? Your daddy's a little convict, so you have to stay with your mommy for a while. How does that sound?"

Baby-me gurgled happily, grabbing at nothing in front of Apollo's handsome face. I was so small that my head fit perfectly in the palm of the god's hand, my tiny baby body fitting his forearm. Mother did mention that I was a premature newborn.

"Now," Apollo said, handing me over to my dad, "if you excuse me, I have a trip to Japan to accomplish." He turned around, his form shimmering. "Oh, the pretty gals / How they sit upon buckets / On a winter day."

My father had to look away and cover my eyes as the sun god blinded the room, leaving a faint trace of lyre music as he went.

That red door showed up again and I don't hesitate to go through it this time. I don't need to see my dad's face to know that he's worried for my safety. For his safety. He's the demigod in this family.

When I walked through, all sound was cut and my body actually felt solid, but my mind wandered. It was like I had just gotten over a fever, but the drowsiness and headache were still there.

I was drawing myself farther away from my physical body, and the more I did it, the more light-headed I felt.

I saw Athena, the goddess of wisdom, give birth to my father. Not a very satisfying thing to see. Apparently she can conceive children by joining her mind with her lovers. Similar how she was born from Zeus's head.

So I was a descendant of Athena… That does explain my handy craft skills in art and my innatism. Though, I don't think I have what it takes to live up to her name. I did poorly in most of my classes last year, and I even failed P.E. Who fails P.E.?

Putting those thoughts aside, I started to panic when I realized that I'd strayed from my body. I was too far in the astral plane, and the fact that that stupid red door kept showing up meant that I was still astral-traveling. I'd forgotten where I was before all of this.

_You aren't supposed to be here_, a silky voice whispered in my ear. I turned, but saw nothing.

A crackling laugh echoed all around, but nothing surrounded me. I was in a void of nihility. That was, until, Mother Earth decided to show up.

She was a beautiful woman, dressed fully in royal earth-colored robes. Her feet were bare and her hands hidden beneath the folds of her clothes. Gaia's features resembled that of Hera, but in her own ethereal way—black hair as dark as tar, skin that churned of soil and dust, and lips the color of autumn. Her eyes were closed.

_Hello_, _young Ennis_. The protogenos of the earth smiled ever so slightly. _It seems as though you've realized your connection with the other half-bloods_._ A legacy of Athena… how captivating_.

I wasn't nervous, which was strange, but power radiated from the goddess. Old power that was ancient since Chaos gave birth to her. That made me hesitate.

Reading about the gods and actually meeting them were very different experiences.

I nodded. "Uh, yeah," I said unsurely. "A granddaughter of Athena…" I started rubbing my hands together like I do when I'm nervous. So I lied. I was nervous. I was very nervous. This was _Gaia_, the mother of the earth, the grandchild to Chronos. The enemy.

"So… why are you here?"

Gaia's smile seemed cold and distant. _You possess great innate knowledge_,_ my dear_._ Although your stratagem techniques are pathetic_,_ your mind has the capability to consume large amounts of information_.

Okay, I thought. Gaia's probably going to offer me something that I could never resist, and urge me to be a part of her army or something. Freckles, maybe. I've always wanted freckles.

The earth goddess raised one hand and a contorted image shimmered like an Iris Message. The problem? I was watching Percy and Annabeth in Tartarus. They were fighting off these withered bat-like hags, who kept screeching at the couple to give up, lose hope, die. Annabeth wandered blindly, desperately calling out to her boyfriend. Percy had a handful of _arai _that he kept slashing, but more took their place.

The son of Poseidon turned one _arai_ into dust and he fell to his knees. Percy couldn't speak, I knew, but he called for Bob's assistance. He came, and the tides turned, but the poison had already settled within him.

Annabeth was saved and cured of her blindness, but she grieved over Percy's current state. He was incapable of moving… so close to death. Bob did his best, but soon they'd have to meet Damasen, the friendly giant.

The entire time, Gaia kept smiling, her grin never wavering. _Your time is running out_,_ my dear_, she said evenly. _How long will you hide the truth from the Seven_?

I was about to say something, but the words got stuck in my throat. I felt as if I'd inhaled a _katobleps_ poisonous breath—my stomach churned and my head felt light.

As Gaia fragmented into particles of dust, her voice whispered deep within my mind, _The truth will set you free, but not until it is finished with you._

That was when Aether kicked me out of his realm and I woke up to someone screaming "Wake up!" It was Piper. Jason must have taken a tumble towards the ocean.

It took me at least an hour to get ready, with taking a shower, picking out an outfit, and putting on makeup (courtesy of Piper). Hazel came to this room just when I was cleaning my gauges.

"Jason changed courses," she said, leaving the door cracked. "How come you weren't there when he fell this morning?"

I felt the back of my earrings. "Sorry," I said. "I fell asleep. I wasn't, er, aware of anything."

"You were astral-traveling."

She said it so nonchalantly, I could only stare at her for a moment. How did she know?

My cheeks started to heat up. "Well, actually, about that—"

"I felt your soul leave your body," Hazel stated coolly. "We're all gathering in the mess hall. When Jason's done discussing what he wants to talk about, you should tell us about what you saw… okay?"

I nodded. With how mature everyone was, I didn't feel up to any responsibilities. They were on the verge of a war, and then I popped in like, _Hey! How's it going? _I don't have their knowledge of battle like they do. All I have is the truth, and the truth _sucks_.

We went to the mess hall. Again, I took the other head of the table when everyone took their seats. Frank asked why the floor was all sticky; I kept my mouth shut.

Jason told everyone about what he'd seen when he became unconscious. How Annabeth had somehow managed to send Camp Half-Blood a hand-written letter. He mentioned that the only way to stop the war against the Greeks and Romans was for Reyna, a Roman officer, to bring the Athena Pantheons to the Greek camp in New York. It would mend the broken bond that the Romans and Greeks have for each other.

"A note from Annabeth," Piper said, shaking her head in astonishment. "I don't see how that's possible, but if it is—"

"She's alive," Leo said. "Now pass the hot sauce."

Frank furrowed his thick eyebrows. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means I'm still hungry, Zhang," he said, wiping a few crumbs from his chin. "Pass the sauce."

Frank did, but Gaia's words still rang through my mind. She _wanted _me to tell them, and I really wanted to, but what if that was the wrong decision? Would telling them change their future to get Percy and Annabeth out of Tartarus?

Through the entire conversation to the very end, I was thinking about Gaia and what I would say to the Seven, when silence fell. I glanced up to find that everyone, including Nico, was staring at me.

"What?"

Jason cleared his throat. "Hazel said you wanted to tell us something… something that happened while you were astral-traveling?"

Giving the daughter of Pluto a sideways look, I had no other choice but to tell them. So, after a satisfying cough, I told them what I saw and experienced. When I explained what Gaia showed me, there was a collective gasp among the demigods, and Nico looked as miserable as ever.

"But why are you so worried?" Frank asked. "This is good. They're alive. "

"I know that, but it's what Gaia said." I rubbed my hands together nervously.

Piper got an almost suspicious look in her eye. "… What did she say?"

"It was about my existence," I admitted. "My existence. How I'm not supposed to be here. Everything could get all messed up just for telling you guys this."

Leo melodramatically raised his arms as if I just pointed out that he was male. "Then why did you tell us? Not that I'm saying you shouldn't have."

"Well—"

"You were pressured to tell us by Gaia," Jason said. "If you didn't, something bad was going to happen. To us or to you."

I nodded. "Something like that. She never mentioned specifically what would go wrong, but—"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa." The son of Hephaestus shook his hands. "Hold up. You actually _listened _to _Gaia_?"

"I was _pressured_!"

"Wait," Hazel interjected. "Why would she get mad if you didn't tell us? What's wrong with telling us about what's going to happen?"

"The Fates." Nico gave me a cold look. "They aren't prone to prophets who work their jobs for them. If you tell someone their future, they could take it negatively or positively, depending on how they worked for their goal."

"Exactly." I took a breath and exhaled. Might as well tell them everything. "I know exactly what's going to happen after the Doors of Death—if Percy and Annabeth get out safely, the location of the Athena Pantheons. Potentially, the outcome of the war."

Cue the silence and the swooshing of the waves that wallowed against the ship. There were _what-the-heck_ looks that I was expecting from Leo, Frank, and even Piper. I knew their entire story, but I was too much of a coward to read their chapters.

So, I explained everything, and I meant _everything_. From when Percy and Annabeth first fell nine days into Tartarus to recapping the _arai_ incident from earlier. I even hinted that it might get a bit chilly in about two to three days, and that Leo should stay grounded to the deck. (Though, no one knew what I was talking about, so it was sort of difficult just to tell them that Khione and her two brothers were coming to wreak havoc among the remaining crew).

But I told them, without trying to look at their faces, that the scepter of Diocletian wasn't one to cause freak winter storms. Everyone looked really confused, but I pocketed those expressions away and continued. That Clytius would be guarding the Doors of Death.

No one really spoke when I'd finished my little rank about the future. Leo still munched on chips and salsa, thought he ate slowly. Jason was deep in though, like his usual self, and everyone else, besides Nico, just looked sucker punched.

The sudden bells indicated that we'd arrived.

"Oh," Leo said. "Time to Split."

Frank groaned, shooting the son of Hephaestus an irritated look. "Can we leave Valdez in Croatia?"

I was surprised that things went on as if nothing had happened.

"Frank," Jason said, standing, "you're in charge of defending the ship. Leo, you've got repairs to do. The rest of you, help out wherever you can. Nico and I…" He acknowledged the son of Hades. "We have a ghost to find."


End file.
